Alfonso II of Naples

Alfonso II of Naples (4 November 1448-18 December 1495) was the King of Naples from 1494 to 1495, succeeding Ferrante I of Naples and preceding Ferrante II of Naples, and King of Sicily from 1494 to 1495.

Biography
Alfonso was the oldest son of Ferrante I of Naples and Isabella de Clermont, and was a cousin of Fernando II of Aragon. Alfonso became the new claimant to the throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1465 after the death of his mother, as he was a member of the House of Brienne. In 1485 he defeated the Conjure of the Barons and fought against the Papal States' claims to the throne of the Kingdom of Naples. Later becoming a condotierro, Alfonso fought in the Pazzi Conspiracy (1478-1480) and the Salt War (1482-1484).

When his father died in 1494, he inherited a kingdom of Naples that lost its wealth and influence. Ludovico Sforza and King Charles VIII of France allied against Naples that year and invaded Italy, so Alfonso made a reluctant alliance with the papal States against France. Alfonso was confirmed as King of Sicily by Cardinal Juan Borgia the Elder on 8 May 1494, but his reign was cut short by the French conquest of southern Italy.

In 1495, King Charles VIII took over Naples, and he blamed Alfonso for a plague that broke out in the city. He was tortured to death by the French, and was succeeded as king by Ferrante II of Naples.